Guess What’s Coming Ashore along Washington’s Coast…Officials Try to Ward off Invasives

Four years ago, when a powerful magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, it triggered a wall of water that devastated much of Japan's northern coast. But the environmental ripples are still being felt, as debris continues to wash ashore in Washington State, bringing with it many unwelcome visitors.

The objects can be anything - from refrigerators, to tires, to entire boats - all encrusted with barnacles that have colonized debris set adrift following the 2011 catastrophe that left over 15,000 people dead. According to Japanese officials, the tsunami may have swept up to 5 million tons of debris into the Pacific. And it's finding its way onto American shores.

But the debris isn't the only problem. It's what's hitching a ride aboard the flotsam that has scientists concerned. It turns out, they are colonized by dozens of invasive species and parasites.

"These become their own ecosystems in the ocean," says Allen Pleus of the Department of Fish and Wildlife's aquatic and invasive species unit. "What's not natural is that they're on man-made objects that don't disintegrate."

The latest object to wash ashore was a 25-foot Japanese skiff, recovered along the rocky shores near La Push. The skiff is the third object to reach Washinton shores this year, bringing the total to nearly 40, since the tsunami struck. By the time the objects make it to shore, they are teaming with invasives that not only survived the long journey, but were thriving by the time they landed. One relic boat even contained a tropical striped beakfish, probably picked up as the debris drifted past Hawaii.

And what's the harm of a few invasive species? Exotic invasives, as they are routinely called, can wreak havoc on ecosystems. They compete with native species who may lack defenses for the exotics, and in some cases, can interrupt food chains, deplete resources, and kill off entire species.

The folks from Fish and Wildlife hope to prevent such scenarios. By identifying and isolating the unwelcome visitors, they hope to prevent the spread of invasives along the Washington coast.

They may have their work cut out for them. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), most of the debris remains scattered north of Hawaii and east of the remote Midway Atoll. As for the objects that make it to Washington's shores, residents are advised not to touch the debris, but to snap photos and alert either NOAA or the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

As for nuclear hazards, health officials say it's highly unlikely.